Study Finds No Link Between Adolescent Cancer and Cellphones

Study Finds No Link Between Adolescent Cancer and Cellphones

A new study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute has found no link between the use of cellphones and development of brain tumors in adolescents.

The study, which was conducted in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Switzerland, looked at cellphone usage of 352 youths between the ages of 7 and 19 who had been diagnosed with a brain tumor between the years 2004 and 2008. The remaining 646 participants in the study were randomly pulled from the general population, but they match gender, age, and geographical characteristics of the first group.

The scientists quizzed each participant in their cellphone use and how often they used their phones for voice calls where they would be holding the phone up to the side of their head. Usage data from wireless providers was also obtained when possible.

The study's results found no link between cellphone use and brain tumor development, and that regular users of cellphones were no more likely to develop a brain tumor than those who used a cellphone less frequently. The scientists also found that there was no increased likelihood of tumors in areas of the brain that saw the most direct cellphone exposure.